Method and process of making lanolin



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. BROADGATE, 3F NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK W.

HARMON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

METHOD AND PROCESS OF MAKING LANOLIN.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. BROAD- GATE, a subject of George V, King of Great Britain, residin at New Haven, in the county of New aven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and improved Method and Process of Making Lanolin, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved method and process of making lanolin, having for its object, among other things, to extract the same from wool grease, a commercial product extracted from the waters in which raw wool is washed, by means more economical than any heretofore used, economical in that the cost of production is less and the volume of lanolin procured from a given quantity of wool grease materially increased. A further object being to reclaim so much of the residue as is economically possible, this reclaimed residue being a marketable grease.

In the practice of my improved method and process, the wool grease is placed in a suitable container or tank to which heat is applied. The means of applying this heat is not material to this invention, but I find in practice that a very good means of accomplishing this end is to arrange a tank in close proximity to steam coils, radiators or a steam injector. The wool grease within the tank is then diluted with water sufficient in quantity to reduce it to a consistency that will admit of its being easily and thoroughly stirred, either manually or by mechanical means. Within the container the tempera ture of the wool grease is then raised to a point that will produce a thin, even mixture, say at a temperature from 80 to 100 centigrade, at which time a proper predetermined quantity of bleaching. agent, such as sodium peroxid (Na O mixed with a small quantity of water, is introduced into the heated grease. The quantity of bleaching agent to be used is dependent upon the color of the wool grease. The Whole mass is now agitated thoroughly thereby allowing the bleaching agent to act evenly throughout and producing a homogeneous mixture. This agitation may be accomplished by either mechanical or manual means, but in any case it is preferable that the liquid be caused to continuously circulate. After this agitation, the mixture is allowed to stand for the purpose of permitting the bleaching Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 26, 1919.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Serial No. 285,301.

agent to act upon the mass and change the same to the proper color, the standing period depending largely upon the quality and color of the original wool grease. Subsequently, water is added and the entire mass is again heated to a point as near the boiling point as possible, say 95 to 100 centigrade, and at this temperature is permitted to run through a centrifugal separating machine.

The water and impurities together, consisting mainly of uncombined sodium hydroxid resulting from the combination of the sodium peroxid and water, and a sodium soap solution, formed by the action of the sodium hydroxid upon the grease, are separated from the mass the remainder of which is the commercial lanolin. If the re sulting lanolin is too thin for a commercial product, or for its desired use, it may be rerun through a centrifugal machine adjusted for a different gravity to thicken it by separating therefrom some of the water that had not been eliminated in the first operation. If this operation is repeated it is desirable that the lanolin should be again mixed with water and heated so as to facilitate the action of the centrifugal machine thereon. The water that contains the impurities after leaving the centrifugal machine is conveyed to a perforated or network container filled with niter cake, suspended over a tank or sump, part of this niter cake going into solution. Another method of combining the water impurities with niter cake is to make a solution of the niter cake by dissolving it in water and adding directly to the water and impurities discharged from the centrifugal machine. In either case the resultant is permitted to stand for a comparatively short time and then the sodium soap is broken down and free grease rises to the surface of the tank or sump. This water and grease is run through centrifugal separating machine, separating the grease from the residue, which grease is adapted for soap making.

The mechanical means other than their sequence in which used in this process constior about three hundred gallons, of hot water and place it in a tank and if the wool grease is of average.medium color, add about 50 grains of sodium peroXid for each pound of grease. In practice, it is well also to introduce about twenty-five grains of sodium hydroXid for each pound of wool grease. This latter will aid the action of the sodium peroXid, but is not an absolute necessity. Now, the unrefined wool grease, which has been previously heated, is placed in the tank with the water and the sodium peroxid, and sodium hydroxid, if used, the temperature of the mass being from 80 to 100 centigrade. The contents of this tank are thoroughly and evenly agitated and should stand for about twenty-four hours. After it has stood for the full period the contents of the tank are heated to a temperature of about 95 to 100 centigrade, and if it needs thinning, water may be added. In its heated condition the contents of this tank are then run through the centrifugal machine, and if necessary to prevent the chilling of the grease in the cold machine a little hot water is first run through it. Further, an easier separation in the centrifugal machine is 0btained by adding at thispoint a small quantity, say one per cent of sodium chlorid'. From the centrifugal machine the lanolin runs through a continuous heating device which supplies the heat lost during the centrifugal operation and is conducted to the filter as near to 100 centigrade as is possible, and the material that passes through the filter is the product commercially known as anhydrous lanolin. This anhydrous lanolin may,if desired, be converted into hydrous lanolin by the process of kneading mechanically in the presence of cold water, the same being absorbed by the lanolin. This latter process of kneading is in spirit substantially the same as shown in the patent to Braun, at al #271,192, January 23,

1883, and constitutes no part of this invention.

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is V 1. A method or process of making lanolin from wool grease, wherein the wool grease is heated to a point that will produce a thin even mixture and adding thereto a quantity of alkali metal peroxid, as a bleaching agent, after which thewhole mass is agitated to permit the bleaching agent to mix evenly throughout, allowing the mass to stand until said bleaching agent has entirely bleached the same andthen by centrifugal means separating the lanolin from the re mainder of the mass.- e V 2. A method or process of making lanolin from wool grease, wherein the wool grease is heated to a temperature from 80 to 100 centigrade, adding thereto alkali metal peroxid, as a bleaching agent, agitat illg these combined materials, and then permitting them to stand until the bleaching agent has entirely bleached the same, then,

after adding water, by centrifugal means separating the lanolin from the remamder of the mass.

3. A method or process of making lanolin from wool grease, wherein the wool grease is heated to a temperature from 80 to 100 centigrade, adding thereto alkali metal peroxid, as a bleaching agent, agitating these combined materials, and then permitting themto stand until the bleaching agent has entirely bleached the same, then reheating the mass and while so heated by centrifugal means, separating the lanolin from the remainder of the mass.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

WILLIAM C. BROADGATE. 

